COACHES

I should say from the outset that I find building coaches thoroughly boring. It's not so bad building one, but then you have to do it all over again and again etc. Each Ratio kit coach requires 24 holes to be drilled in its roof and I have built 13 of them!

Having said that I must admit that I consider the LNWR coach livery to be truly spectacular and watching a train of them run past makes all the effort worth while. No wonder King George V asked, in 1923, that the Royal Train remain in LNWR livery and not be painted Midland maroon!

There are four passenger train formations running on my layout and I will describe each in turn. The coaches are of four types of construction and I have included a photo of each type with a description of the construction method appended to it. All the items have been built and painted by me, unless stated otherwise.

My coach painting methods are pretty basic. After thoroughly cleaning the vehicle I apply a coat or two of Halfords matt red-oxide primer both inside and outside. I then mask off around the areas that will be white and spray them with Halfords matt white.  Next, I hand paint all the plum coloured areas with RailMatch LMS Crimson Lake mixed with a little GWR Chocolate Brown to tone down the crimson and increase the density of the colour. The lining I carry out with a draughtsman's ruling pen using a deep yellow acrylic paint. This allows me to easily wash off any mistakes. Fortunately, I trained as a draughtsman in the days when we used ruling-pens!

Details of the passenger trains running on the layout are as follows:-

EXPRESS TRAIN :- Consists of a 45ft Full brake (LRM kit) painted by Chris Gwillam + five Ratio coaches (Brk Comp+Comp+3rd+Comp+Brk Comp) painted by Chris Gwillam + Horse Box (LRM kit) + 6-wheel Full Brake (David Geen kit) + Fish Van (M&L kit).

SUBURBAN TRAIN :- Five 50ft bogie coaches (Brk+Comp+Comp+Comp+Brk). These are Ratio coaches with all the detail filed off and 'Wheeltapper' (ex P.C.) printed sides attached.

SECONDARY EXPRESS :- GWR Fruit Van (bought second hand) + 42ft Radial Third (David Geen kit) + Four six-wheel coaches (David Geen kits) + Two 50ft bogie coaches (Ratio coaches with detail filed off and computer printed sides attached) + 50ft Full Brake (as the previous coaches).

PRIVATE TRAIN :- Horse Box (M&L kit) + Special Cattle Van (M&L kit) + Picnic Saloon (Wheeltapper [ex P.C.] kit.) + 42ft Radial Comp. (David Geen kit) + Carriage Truck (M&L kit) + 6- wheel Parcel Van (M&L kit).

A 50ft Corridor Composite from a Ratio plastic kit, built by me and painted by Chris Gwillam. These coaches were as good as it got in 1901

A 45ft Full Brake from an LRM etched kit built by me and painted by Chris Gwillam

A 50ft Suburban Brake Third from a Ratio plastic kit which has had all the detail filed off and Wheeltapper (ex P.C.) printed sides attached, all by me. These coaches were very new in 1901

A 50ft Corridor Brake Comp. from a Ratio plastic kit which has had all the detail filed off and computer printed sides attached, all by me. The printed sides were produced by Graphix who, unfortunately, are no longer in production

Two 30ft.1in. non-corridor coaches from David Geen etched kits, built and painted by me

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